Illumination optical system and projector using the same

ABSTRACT

A projector in an illumination optical system includes a laser light source, a synchronization signal processor that converts synchronization signals that are synchronized with video signals input from outside the projector into video signals to be used inside the projector, an LD driver that controls a lighting state of the laser light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source, an LED driver that controls a lighting state of the LED light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor, a rotational state detector that detects a rotational state of a phosphor wheel, and a phosphor wheel driver that, based on a detected result of the rotational state detector, controls the rotational state of the phosphor wheel.

The present application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/734,553, filed on May 7, 2010, which is based on International Application No. PCT/JP2010/051237, filed on Jan. 29, 2010, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an illumination optical system that generates illumination lights of a plurality of colors for forming image lights of a plurality of colors, and a projector that projects the image lights produced by the illumination optical system.

BACKGROUND ART

Technology that uses an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light source of a projector that projects an image onto a screen such as a liquid crystal projector or a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) projector has been receiving attention (see Patent Literature 1).

Because an LED has a long lifetime and offers high reliability, projectors that employ an LED as a light source have the advantages of long lifetime and high reliability.

However, because the brightness of the light of an LED is low for use as a projector, it is not easy to obtain a projected image that has sufficient brightness with a projector employing an LED as a light source. The extent to which a display panel can utilize light from a light source as projection light is limited by the etendue. More specifically, unless the value of the product of a light-emission area of a light source and the angle of radiation is made less than or equal to the value of the product of the area of the plane of incidence of the display panel and the capturing angle that is determined by an f-number of the illumination optical system, the light from the light source can not be effectively utilized as projection light.

Although the light quantity of a light source that employs an LED can be increased by increasing the light-emission area, if the light-emission area increases, the etendue of the light source will also increase. As a light source for a projector, it is desirable in terms of the limitation produced by the etendue to increase the light quantity without increasing the light-emission area. However, it is difficult for a light source that employs an LED to increase the light quantity without increasing the light-emission area.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP2003-186110A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The etendue of a light source that using only a LED is increases. The present invention realizes an illumination optical system with a small etendue, a longer lifetime, and a high level of brightness.

Solution to Problem

An illumination optical system of the present invention comprises:

a laser light source that generates an excitation light having a first wavelength;

a phosphor wheel that includes a blue fluorescent light generation region that generates fluorescent light having a second wavelength by means of the excitation light, and a green fluorescent light generation region that generates fluorescent light having a third wavelength by means of the excitation light;

an LED light source that generates light having a fourth wavelength; and

a dichroic mirror that reflects fluorescent light having the second wavelength and fluorescent light having the third wavelength, and allows light having the fourth wavelength to pass therethrough to thereby emit each of the lights in the same direction.

Further, a projector according to the present invention comprises the above described illumination optical system.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, since a laser with a high energy density converges on a phosphor as excitation light, and since fluorescent light is emitted from the place at which the laser converges is used, an illumination optical system can be realized that has a small etendue, a longer lifetime and a higher level of brightness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates the configuration of an exemplary embodiment of an illumination optical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of phosphor wheel 105 as viewed from laser light source 101 side (from the left side towards the right side in FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the structure of blue phosphor region 105 ₁ in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the structure of green phosphor regions 105 ₂ and 105 ₄ in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the circuit configuration of a projector that uses an illumination optical system according to the present invention.

FIGS. 6( a) to (c) are plan views that illustrate the structure of principal parts of a second exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6( d) to (f) are plan views that illustrate the structure of principal parts of a third exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart that illustrates light emission times of a second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart that illustrates light emission times of a third exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram that illustrates the structure of principal parts of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Next, exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates the configuration of one exemplary embodiment of an illumination optical system according to the present invention.

The present exemplary embodiment includes laser light source 101, LED light source 102, dichroic mirrors 103 and 104, phosphor wheel 105, light tunnel 106, lens groups 107 to 109, and reflection mirrors 110 ₁ and 110 ₂.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of phosphor wheel 105 as viewed from the left side towards the right side of FIG. 1.

Laser light source 101 generates an excitation laser light of wavelength λ1. Phosphor wheel 105 includes blue phosphor region 105 ₁ and green phosphor regions 105 ₂ and 105 ₄ that generate blue fluorescent light and green fluorescent light, respectively, of wavelengths λ2 and λ3 (λ2<λ3) that are longer than wavelength λ1 when an excitation laser light is incident thereon. Phosphor wheel 105 also includes transparent region 105 ₃ that allows light to pass through.

First, the properties of each optical element of the present exemplary embodiment are described.

LED light source 102 generates red light having wavelength λ4 that is longer than wavelength λ3. Thus, according to the present exemplary embodiment, lights having four wavelengths, λ1 to λ4, are used, and the relationship between the wavelengths is λ1<λ2<λ3<λ4. The reflecting surfaces of dichroic mirrors 103 and 104 are parallelly arranged. Dichroic mirror 103 reflects only light of λ3, and allows light of λ1, λ2 and λ4 to pass. Dichroic mirror 104 reflects only light of λ2, and allows light of λ1, λ3 and λ4 to pass. In this connection, dichroic mirror 104 may also be provided so as to reflect light of λ1 and λ2, and to allow light of λ3 and λ4 to pass.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are sectional views that illustrate the structure of blue phosphor region 105 ₁ and green phosphor regions 105 ₂ and 105 ₄.

As shown in FIG. 3, in blue phosphor region 105 ₁, reflective layer 304 and blue phosphor layer 305 are formed on substrate 303 that is transparent with respect to wavelengths λ1 to λ4. When excitation laser light having wavelength λ1 is incident on blue phosphor layer 305, blue phosphor layer 305 generates blue fluorescent light having wavelength λ2. Reflective layer 304 allows the excitation laser light having wavelength λ1 to pass therethrough, and reflects blue fluorescent light having wavelength λ2 generated at blue phosphor layer 305. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when excitation laser light 301 having wavelength λ1 is incident from the side of substrate 303, blue fluorescent light 302 having wavelength λ2 is emitted from blue phosphor layer 305 side.

As shown in FIG. 4, in green phosphor regions 105 ₂ and 105 ₄, reflective layer 402 and green phosphor layer 403 are formed on substrate 303 that is transparent with respect to wavelengths λ1 to λ4. When excitation laser light 301 having wavelength λ1 is incident on green phosphor layer 403, green phosphor layer 403 generates green fluorescent light having wavelength λ3. Reflective layer 402 reflects green fluorescent light having wavelength λ3 generated at green phosphor layer 403. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when excitation laser light 301 having wavelength λ1 is incident from the side of green phosphor layer 403, green fluorescent light 403 having wavelength λ3 is generated at green phosphor layer 305, and the thus generated light is reflected by reflective layer 402 and emitted from the side of green phosphor layer 305.

Next, the arrangement of an optical system according to the present exemplary embodiment is described.

When a case is assumed in which there is no phosphor wheel 105, each member is arranged so that outgoing light of laser light source 1 passes through dichroic mirror 103 and lens group 109, is returned by reflection mirrors 110 ₁ and 110 ₂, and is incident on dichroic mirror 103 through lens group 108. The optical axes of lens group 107 and lens group 108 and the rotational axis of phosphor wheel 105 are parallel, and the center of rotation of phosphor wheel 105 is midway between the optical axes of lens group 107 and lens group 108.

The optical axis of laser light source 101 is perpendicular to the optical axis of LED light source 102. The outgoing light of laser light source 101 is incident on phosphor wheel 105 via dichroic mirror 103 and lens group 109. As described above, phosphor wheel 105 includes three kinds of regions, and the action after light is incident on phosphor wheel 105 differs depending on the region that light is incident on.

As shown in FIG. 2, circular phosphor wheel 105 is divided into four regions, of which blue phosphor region 105 ₁ and transparent region 105 ₃, and green phosphor region 105 ₂ and green phosphor region 105 ₄ are arranged so as to be symmetrical about a point.

Outgoing light of laser light source 101 is incident on phosphor wheel 105 via dichroic mirror 103 and lens group 107. The point of incidence thereof (hereunder, referred to as “primary focal point”) is in any one of the above described three kinds of regions. When the primary focal point is in transparent region 105 ₃, incident light passes through transparent region 105 ₃, is returned by reflection mirrors 110 ₁ and 110 ₂, and is incident at a secondary focal point in blue phosphor region 105 ₁ at a position that is symmetrical about a point with respect to the primary focal point of phosphor wheel 105.

Hereunder, the action after light is incident is described with respect to cases where the primary focal point is green phosphor region 105 ₂ and green phosphor region 105 ₄, transparent region 105 ₃, and blue phosphor region 105 ₁, respectively.

When the primary focal point is in green phosphor region 105 ₂ and green phosphor region 105 ₄, the configuration is as shown in FIG. 4. Green fluorescent light having wavelength λ3 that is generated at green phosphor layer 403 is diffused light, and is collimated by lens group 107. Thereafter, the green fluorescent light is reflected towards light tunnel 106 by dichroic mirror 103. Subsequently, the green fluorescent light passes through dichroic mirror 104, is condensed by lens group 109, and is incident on light tunnel 106.

When the primary focal point is transparent region 105 ₃, outgoing light of laser light source 101 is incident at the secondary focal point in blue phosphor region 105 ₁ from the rear surface of phosphor wheel 105 (from the left side of the figure towards the right side in FIG. 1), and a configuration is entered as shown in FIG. 3. Blue fluorescent light having wavelength λ2 generated at blue phosphor layer 305 is diffused light, and is collimated by lens group 108. Thereafter, the blue fluorescent light is reflected towards light tunnel 106 by dichroic mirror 104, is condensed by lens group 109, and is incident on light tunnel 106.

When the primary focal point is blue phosphor region 105 ₁, blue fluorescent light having wavelength λ2 generated at blue phosphor layer 305 is collimated by lens group 107, passes through dichroic mirror 103, and is returned to laser light source 101. Thus, blue fluorescent light generated when the primary focal point is in blue phosphor region 105 ₁ is not utilized as illumination light. According to the present exemplary embodiment, when the primary focal point is in blue phosphor region 105 ₁, laser light source 101 is extinguished, LED light source 102 is lit, and red outgoing light having wavelength λ4 of LED light source 102 is incident on light tunnel 106 through dichroic mirrors 103 and 104 and lens group 109.

As described above, according to an illumination optical system of the present exemplary embodiment, when the primary focal point is in green phosphor region 105 ₂ and green phosphor region 105 ₄, green fluorescent light is incident on light tunnel 106. When the primary focal point is in transparent region 105 ₃, blue fluorescent light is incident on light tunnel 106. When the primary focal point is in blue phosphor region 105 ₁, red light of LED light source 102 is incident on light tunnel 106. The illumination distribution of each of these incident lights inside light tunnel 106 is uniformized, so that uniformized red light, green light, blue light, and green light appear in that order on the outgoing light side of light tunnel 106 to be used as illumination light. In this connection, yellow or magenta may be used as illumination light by using a yellow phosphor or a magenta phosphor instead of one of the green phosphors.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates a circuit configuration of a projector that uses an illumination optical system of the present exemplary embodiment.

A projector illustrated in FIG. 5 includes user interface 501, controller 502, storage portion 503, video signal processor 504, synchronization signal processor 505, LD driver 506, LED driver 507, phosphor wheel driver 508, display element driver 509, rotational state detector 510, and display element 511, as well as laser light source 101, LED light source 102, and phosphor wheel 105 shown in FIG. 1.

User interface 501 accepts instructions input from a user, and outputs the instructions to controller 502. User interface 501 also displays the current operating state of the projector on a display apparatus (not shown) such as an indicator or a display panel.

Controller 502 controls each component comprising the projector in accordance with a program stored in storage portion 503.

Storage portion 503 stores a control program of controller 503, or temporarily stores video data.

Video signal processor 504 converts a video signal input from outside into a video signal to be used inside the projector. Since video signals of the present exemplary embodiment are formed by illumination lights of respective colors being output sequentially by an illumination optical system as described above, video signals according to each color are generated sequentially.

Synchronization signal processor 505 converts synchronization signals that are synchronized with video signals input from outside into video signals to be used inside the projector. More specifically, synchronization signal processor 505 generates and outputs synchronization signals that show the output timing of video signals of each color.

LD driver 506 controls the lighting state of laser light source 101 according to synchronization signals output from synchronization signal processor 505. LED driver 507 controls the lighting state of LED light source 102 according to synchronization signals output from synchronization signal processor 505.

Rotational state detector 510 detects the rotational state of phosphor wheel 105, and outputs the detected result to phosphor wheel driver 508.

Phosphor wheel driver 508 controls the rotational state of phosphor wheel 105 so that the color of a video signal indicated by a synchronization signal output by synchronization signal processor 505 and a color output by the illumination optical system that indicates the rotational state of phosphor wheel 105 detected by rotational state detector 510 match.

Display element driver 509 drives display element 511 in accordance with video signals output by the video signal processor. In this case, a reflective image forming element in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a matrix and which forms an image according to the reflection state of each micromirror, or a transmission-type liquid crystal display element or reflective liquid crystal display element is used as a display element.

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According to the projector configured as described above, display element 511 that displays images corresponding to each color by means of illumination light of each color sequentially output from the illumination optical system is illuminated, and reflection images or transmission images of display element 511 are sequentially projected through a projection optical system (not shown).

Next, another exemplary embodiment is described.

FIGS. 6( a) to (c) are plan views that illustrate the structure of principal parts of a second exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention. FIGS. 6( d) to (f) are plan views that illustrate the structure of principal parts of a third exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention.

Phosphor wheel 105 shown in FIG. 2 is equally divided into four regions in which blue phosphor region 105 ₁ and transparent region 105 ₃, and green phosphor region 105 ₂ and green phosphor region 105 ₄ are arranged so as to be symmetrical about a point. In contrast, in phosphor wheel 105′ shown in FIG. 5( a) to (c), the areas of blue phosphor region 105 ₁′ and transparent region 105 ₃′ are different from the areas of green phosphor region 105 ₂′ and green phosphor region 105 ₄′. Since the remaining configuration is the same as in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a description thereof is omitted here.

The areas of green phosphor region 105 ₂′ and green phosphor region 1054 are made to be twice the areas of blue phosphor region 105 ₁′ and transparent region 105 ₃′. Since phosphor wheel 105 illustrated in FIG. 2 is divided into equal regions, when phosphor wheel 105 is rotated once, red light, green light, blue light, and green light appear for the same period. In contrast, according to the present exemplary embodiment, each time period for which green light appears is twice the time period for which red light and blue light appear.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart that shows light emission times of a second exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6( a), when primary focal point 601 is on blue phosphor region 105 ₁′, laser light source 101 is placed in an extinguished state, and LED light source 102 is lit so that red LED light appears (lighting time is taken as period T).

As shown in FIG. 6( b), when primary focal point 601 is on green phosphor region 105 ₄′, green fluorescent light appears (period 2T).

As shown in FIG. 6( c), when primary focal point 601 is on transparent region 105 ₃′, blue fluorescent light appears that is generated at secondary focal point 602 (period T).

Thereafter, when primary focal point 601 is on green phosphor region 105 ₂′, green fluorescent light appears (period 2T).

Although the generated proportions of each color light, when the phosphor wheel is rotated once, are the same in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6( d) to (f) as in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6( a) to (c), the phosphor wheel in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6( d) to (f) is arranged so that green fluorescent light appears consecutively.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the rotational axis of phosphor wheel 603 is placed in a different position to that of phosphor wheel 105 shown in FIG. 1 and phosphor wheel 105′ shown in FIG. 6( a) to (c), and the size thereof is also changed. Since the remaining configuration is the same as in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a description thereof is omitted here.

In phosphor wheel 603, blue phosphor region 604 ₁ and transparent region 604 ₃ of equal area and green fluorescent light region 604 ₂ of an area four times the size of the area of blue phosphor region 604 ₁ and transparent region 604 ₃ are formed in an arc shape. As described above, since the axis of the center of rotation of phosphor wheel 603 is midway between the optical axes of lens group 107 and lens group 108, according to the present exemplary embodiment, the relation between primary focal point 605 and secondary focal point 606 is not one in which primary focal point 605 and secondary focal point 606 are point symmetric with regard to phosphor wheel 603. In the present exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6( d) to (f), primary focal point 605 and secondary focal point 606 have a positional relationship that maintains a predetermined interval that matches the interval of blue phosphor region 604 ₁ or transparent region 604 ₃.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart that shows light emission times of the second exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6( f), when primary focal point 605 is on blue phosphor region 604 ₁′, laser light source 101 is placed in an extinguished state and LED light source 102 is lit so that red LED light appears (lighting time taken as period T).

As shown in FIG. 6( d), when primary focal point 605 is on green phosphor region 604 ₂′, green fluorescent light appears (period 4T).

As shown in FIG. 6( e), when primary focal point 605 is on transparent region 105 ₃′, blue fluorescent light appears that is generated at secondary focal point 606 (period T).

FIG. 9 is a block diagram that illustrates the structure of principal parts of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the illumination optical system according to the present invention.

The present exemplary embodiment includes laser light source 901, LED light source 902, dichroic mirror 903, lens groups 904 and 906, and phosphor wheel 905.

Laser light source 901 generates excitation laser light having wavelength λ1.

LED light source 902 generates red light having wavelength λ4 that is longer than wavelength λ3.

Dichroic mirror 903 allows light having wavelength λ4 to pass therethrough, and reflects light of wavelengths λ1 to λ3.

Similarly to phosphor wheel 105 shown in FIG. 1, phosphor wheel 905 includes a blue phosphor region and a green phosphor region that generate blue fluorescent light and green fluorescent light, respectively, having wavelengths λ2 and λ3(λ2<λ3) that are longer than wavelength λ1 when an excitation laser light is incident thereon. Phosphor wheel 905 also includes a transparent region.

When laser light from laser light source 901 is emitted towards phosphor wheel 905, blue fluorescent light is generated when the incidence position of the laser light is in the blue phosphor region. The blue fluorescent light is collimated by lens group 906, reflected by dichroic mirror 903, and emitted as illumination light through lens group 904.

When the incidence position of the laser light is in a green phosphor region, green fluorescent light is generated. The green fluorescent light is collimated by lens group 906, reflected by dichroic minor 903, and emitted as illumination light through lens group 904.

When the incidence position of laser light is in the transparent region, the laser light passes through phosphor wheel 905 without generating fluorescent light, and is reflected by dichroic mirror 903 and emitted. Thus, illumination light is not generated when the incidence position of laser light is in a transparent region. According to the present exemplary embodiment, when the primary focal point is in the transparent region, laser light source 901 is extinguished, LED light source 902 is lit, and red outgoing light having wavelength λ4 of LED light source 902 is emitted as illumination light through dichroic minor 903 and lens group 904.

As described above, in both the second and third exemplary embodiments, red light, green light, blue light, and green light, that are used as illumination light, appear in sequence, and by driving display element 511 by means of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 5, a projector with a high level of brightness and a long lifetime can be realized.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   101 Laser light source -   102 LED light source -   103, 104 Dichroic mirror -   105 Phosphor wheel -   106 Light tunnel -   107 to 109 Lens group -   110 ₁, 110 ₂ Reflection mirror 

1. A projector in an illumination optical system, the projector comprising: a laser light source; a synchronization signal processor that converts synchronization signals that are synchronized with video signals input from outside the projector into video signals to be used inside the projector; an LD driver that controls a lighting state of the laser light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor; an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source; an LED driver that controls a lighting state of the LED light source according to the synchronization signals output from the synchronization signal processor; a rotational state detector that detects a rotational state of a phosphor wheel; and a phosphor wheel driver that, based on a detected result of the rotational state detector, controls the rotational state of the phosphor wheel such that a color of a video signal indicated by one of the synchronization signals output by the synchronization signal processor matches a color output by the illumination optical system that indicates the rotational state of the phosphor wheel detected by the rotational state detector.
 2. The projector according to claim 1, further comprising: a video signal processor that converts the video signals input from outside the projector into the video signals to be used inside the projector.
 3. The projector according to claim 2, further comprising: a display element driver that drives a display element in accordance with the converted video signals output by the video signal processor.
 4. The projector according to claim 3, wherein the display element includes a reflective image forming element in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a matrix and which forms an image according to a reflection state of each of the micromirrors.
 5. The projector according to claim 3, wherein the display element includes one of a transmission-type liquid crystal display element and a reflective liquid crystal display element.
 6. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal processor outputs the synchronization signals that indicate an output timing of video signals of colors.
 7. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source generates an excitation light having a first wavelength.
 8. The projector according to claim 7, wherein the phosphor wheel comprises a blue fluorescent light generation region that generates fluorescent light having a second wavelength by the excitation light, and a green fluorescent light generation region that generates fluorescent light having a third wavelength by the excitation light.
 9. The projector according to claim 8, wherein the LED light source generates light having a fourth wavelength.
 10. The projector according to claim 9, further comprising: a dichroic mirror that reflects the fluorescent light having the second wavelength and the fluorescent light having the third wavelength, and allows the light having the fourth wavelength to pass therethrough to thereby emit each of the lights in a same direction.
 11. The projector according to claim 10, wherein a reflective layer that allows the excitation light to pass therethrough and reflects the fluorescent light having the second wavelength and the fluorescent light having the third wavelength is formed in the phosphor wheel.
 12. The projector according to claim 11, wherein, in the blue fluorescent light generation region, a blue phosphor that generates the fluorescent light having the second wavelength by the excitation light is formed on the reflective layer, and wherein, in the green fluorescent light generation region, a green phosphor that generates the fluorescent light having the third wavelength by the excitation light is formed on the reflective layer.
 13. The projector according to claim 12, wherein the phosphor wheel includes a transparent region that allows light of all wavelengths to pass therethrough, and wherein the illumination optical system comprises a recursive mechanism that causes light that has passed through the transparent region to be incident on the phosphor wheel again.
 14. The projector according to claim 13, wherein the dichroic mirror comprises: a first dichroic mirror that reflects the fluorescent light having the third wavelength that is generated when the excitation light from the green phosphor side is incident on the green fluorescent light generation region; and a second dichroic mirror that reflects the fluorescent light having the second wavelength that is generated when the excitation light that passes through the transparent region is incident from a side of reflective layer on the blue fluorescent light generation region by the recursive mechanism.
 15. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor wheel includes a transparent region that allows light of all wavelengths to pass therethrough, and wherein the illumination optical system comprises a recursive mechanism that causes light that has passed through the transparent region to be incident on the phosphor wheel again. 